Post 79A enjoyed run to state tourney

Saturday

Jul 31, 2010 at 12:01 AMAug 1, 2010 at 1:45 AM

When Tyler Graber dropped off Sean Fleming at his home July 28 following a season-ending 19-13 loss to Lima Post 96, the teammates on the Marysville American Legion Post 79A baseball team reflected for a moment.

When Tyler Graber dropped off Sean Fleming at his home July 28 following a season-ending 19-13 loss to Lima Post 96, the teammates on the Marysville American Legion Post 79A baseball team reflected for a moment.

"I guess this is the last time you'll be dropping me off," Fleming told Graber. "And the last time we'll be playing together on the same team."

The two helped Jonathan Alder win a Division II state championship last month and on the day Post 79A was eliminated from the state tournament, their playing days as teammates were likely over.

"It was really awesome getting a chance to play with (the Jonathan Alder teammates) again," Fleming said.

They helped Post 79A finish 29-17.

Post 96 led 12-6 after six innings, but Post 79A scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 13-12 lead. Lima regained the lead in the eighth on a two-run homer by Mackenzie Hampshire, before Lima scored four more runs.

Post79A entered the tournament having won 17 of 20 games and then defeated Worthington Post 239 8-7 in the opening round of state on July 26.

The following day, Post79A lost to Napoleon Post 300 12-2 before beating Cincinnati (Harrison) Post 199 11-10 in a morning game on July 28. Against Post 199, Post 79A rallied from an 8-0 deficit. Marysville senior Ethan Wirtz, who had two home runs and six RBI.

"I'm just glad the games were nine innings instead of seven," Marysville senior Kyle Nelson said. "Usually we had a rough first inning and we give up four or five runs. Finally, we put it together and come back in the seventh or eighth inning.

"It seemed like every game we were down four or more."

The season also started rough for Post 79A. The team didn't really start clicking until the Jonathan Alder players joined. Post 79A was at full strength for the Smoky Mountain Baseball Classic in Knoxville, Tenn., when things started rolling.

The team that was 15-12 at one point ended up winning the district 6 championship on July 17, defeating Prospect Post 368 11-4 for the title.

Fleming said the competition level jumped significantly in the state tournament. Against Post 300, Post 79A ran into Defiance pitcher Anthony Kidston, a junior who struck out seven batters in eight innings and allowed one earned run.

"(Kidston) is going to be a pretty good pitcher," Fleming said. "He's only a junior. He just got his driver's license and he's already throwing like 90 (mph)."

Nelson, who struck out three times, said he had his worst hitting day of the high school and summer baseball seasons against Kidston.

With the 19-and-under rule, most of Marysville's lineup can come back next season.

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